


Smooth Melodies

by c0cunt



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crossdressing, Established Relationship, Holiday Cheer, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, college professor shiro, lounge singer lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 23:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9044009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c0cunt/pseuds/c0cunt
Summary: Shiro doesn't know what Lance does on Thursday nights, even after dating for god knows how long, so he is a bit apprehensive that the address for the card that Lance gives him is right smack in the middle of Hooker Avenue.





	

**Author's Note:**

> -jazz hands-  
> hi broskis it's been awhile since i've written and posted anything bc my life is a train wreck. between moving, a new job, and just....depression, bro, everything's been a bit of a shitshow. i do apologize that it is a bit short, though...  
> but i signed up for the voltron secret santa and here it is!!!  
> my gift is for [Jessie,](http://spacepumpkinz.tumblr.com/) who requested holiday themes, domestic life, shances  
> i hope i did well ^-^ i did try my best

    “Come see me sing tonight,” had been what Lance had said in a rush, before slamming a business card for a place called Gatsby’s, a plain black card with the name and address written in shiny silver cursive, onto Shiro’s desk, startling the older man.  Before he could even ask for an explanation, Lance had already shot out of the office, and Shiro could hear Keith yelling at Lance for knocking papers out of his hands.  He poked his head out of his office to see Keith grumbling as he bent down to pick up the papers, but there was no Lance in sight.

  


    For someone who moved so slowly in the morning (rolling onto his belly and stretching as much as possible, soaking in the warm sunlight that made his skin shine, grinning like the cat that ate the canary as Shiro would watch him…), Lance could definitely make himself scarce when he felt like it.  Shiro sighed as he sat back down at his desk, readjusted the glasses he had perched on the edge of his nose, and tapped out a quick text for Lance, before returning to work.  Soon enough, Shiro was once again engulfed in his work, numbers and theories swirling around in his head, leaving no room for thoughts of his younger boyfriend.  Only when Keith rattled the wind chimes that were hanging in Shiro’s doorway, a brown paper bag with their lunches in either hand, did Shiro startle out of his work with a frown.  With only two days left until all the grades Shiro had to get calculated out, he honestly didn’t have  _ time _ for any of this, but a loud wail from his stomach at least had him grudgingly taking the bag offered to him.

  


    Right on top of everything, when Shiro eagerly opened his paper bag, was a little handwritten note from Lance.  Which was to be expected - Lance absolutely  _ loved _ writing little notes of encouragement for Shiro to have throughout the day, and what better way to make sure Shiro saw it than to put it on top of his lunch?  And while the note was just a silly cartoon stick figure, flexing its muscles and proclaiming “go, be great” in a silly speech bubble, the note reminded him of the business card Lance had left him with when he’d dropped off his lunch.  Shiro dug around his papers on his desk for his phone, with the card for Gatsby’s right underneath it, hoping that Lance had returned his text.

  


    He was surprised and anxious to see that Lance hadn’t replied, which was definitely more than a little weird.  Lance  _ always _ responded promptly to the texts Shiro sent him, unless he was at work himself, but Shiro knew that he wasn’t.  (Lance, with the sporadic schedule typical of a part timer as a cashier at the local grocery store, had taken to texting Shiro his schedule - and he would’ve texted Shiro if his boss had asked him to come in.)  Which meant that Lance was probably actively avoiding Shiro, for whatever reason, which was….Shiro wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he felt like shit.  He couldn’t help sighing loudly as he put his phone back on his desk, and turned to stare at the card for Gatsby’s.

  


    “Trouble in paradise?” Keith asked gruffly as he pulled his own sandwich out of his paper bag.  Shiro lifted one shoulder, on a whim flipping the card over to reveal that Lance had written what amounted to instructions on the back.

  


_ Come around 9pm if possible - tell the bouncer at the door that Lance asked you to come. _

  


    Keith craned his head to read over Shiro’s shoulder, and his eyebrows also scrunched up in confusion.  “Gatsby?  Isn’t that the name of that rich fuck from that movie?”  He asked, and Shiro let out a snort of a laugh.

  


    “I mean, yeah?  But I don’t think that’s...What this is for?”  Shiro said, as he slowly inched closer to his computer, intent on finding out what this Gatsby’s place was.  Maybe if he moved more slowly, Keith wouldn’t notice, and Shiro could look it up.  Keith had already turned back to his own lunch, tearing into whatever it was that his “boyfriend” had packed him.  (‘Rolo’ was a strange fellow, and Keith had only loosely referred to him as his boyfriend before, so that was how Shiro would refer to him.)  When it was obvious that Keith was no longer paying attention, Shiro turned his attention fully to the computer, absentmindedly taking a bite out of the sandwich Lance had packed him while the internet loaded.

  


    When Shiro finally was able to search up Gatsby’s, the first few hits were related to The Great Gatsby.  Rolling his eyes at his stupidity, Shiro typed in the address in the search bar, and immediately hit the maps option.  The stretch of road that slowly loaded up was familiar to Shiro, as he drove past there every day on his way to the university.  However, the tiny strip of stores in question was almost identical in appearance to the rest of those along the road known ‘fondly’ by locals as Hooker Avenue.  Shiro felt uneasy as he zoomed a little closer, noting that the parking lot appeared to be relatively full when the images were taken, faces and license plates blurred out.  Gatsby’s storefront was nondescript, sandwiched between one of the many strip clubs and a shop called “The Cat’s Cradle”.  Nothing about the area inspired confidence in Shiro, and he worried at his lower lip as he imagined  _ why _ and  _ what _ Lance might be doing at a club in  _ that _ area.

  


    “Instead of worrying, eat your damn lunch so we can get back to grading,” Keith said gruffly, startling Shiro with the reminder that he was there as well.  He turned towards Keith, who tried to give him a bored look, before he wavered and sighed at the lines that Shiro’s worried look was emphasizing.

  


    “Listen,” Keith said, leaning closer conspiratorially, “Lance may look and act like he has rocks instead of brains in his head, but I’ve heard him and Hunk talk about playing at Gatsby’s.  It’s probably not as bad as you’re thinking it is, Lance can actually be kinda smart sometimes.”  Keith said it grudgingly, as if he didn’t believe it himself.  Shiro clung to that idea, nodding a few times before nervously looking at the address again.  He was definitely going to be seeing Lance tonight, if only to make sure he wasn’t getting himself into trouble.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


    Shiro  _ still _ wasn’t sure what to expect, as he finally exited his car in the packed parking lot near Gatsby’s.  He had rushed to finish his work by 7pm (mentally asking for his students to forgive him for barely any notes on their work), and was still in his not-so-pristine suit.  But, judging by the men (and women) he had seen enter Gatsby’s, he wouldn’t stand out.   Still, Shiro couldn't help feeling nervous as he shuffled along the line with the other patrons who were waiting to enter Gatsby's.  He realized that the people in front of him were pulling their IDs out of their pockets, and hurried to follow suit; the bouncer at the door was smiling congenially as he allowed people in, sometimes squinting suspiciously at the IDs handed to him.  The bouncer smiled kindly at Shiro, who tried to force a smile in return (it turned more into a grimace).

  


    "A new face, eh?  Not many newbies show up around here.  What brings you to Gatsby's?"  He hummed, a cursory look at Shiro's ID.  His mustache twitched almost excitedly at the idea of a new visitor, pale purple eyes gleaming.

  


    "I.... Ah, I'm.... Here for Lance?"  Shiro said awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck.  The bouncer beamed at him, and let out a booming laugh that drew the attention of everyone else in line.

  


    "Oh, so  _ you're _ the mysterious boyfriend, eh?  Shay was convinced that you were made up!"  He let out another chortling laugh, before nudging Shiro towards the entrance and adding "Tell Shay that your drinks are on Coran tonight!" as Shiro followed the flowing curtains behind the front door inside.

  
  
  
  
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    Shiro had remembered going to see The Great Gatsby with Lance.  The aesthetics of the movie were gorgeous, and that was immediately what his mind connected the interior of Gatsby's to.  The surprisingly high ceilings soared overhead, as pale, flimsy curtains cascaded from rods to hide private alcoves from prying eyes.  Shiro had no doubt that the deep red carpet underfoot was either new or at the very least well-kept, and he nervously headed over to the large bar tucked off to one side of the room.  Behind the bar was a large woman with a gentle smile on her face, seemingly oblivious to the thick smoke from cigars that lingered in the air as she poured drinks and chatted with the customers around her.  As several other patrons wandered away from the bar with their drinks in hand, the bartender's eyes fell onto Shiro, awkwardly fidgeting his way over to a seat, and she was already turning to the rows of bottles displayed behind her by the time Shiro reached the bar.

  


    "You seem like a bourbon type," She said, as a short glass with a few ice cubes inside practically materialized in front of her.  Shiro blinked slowly as she splashed club soda and syrup into the glass, and generously poured bourbon over it.  A delicate orange wheel tucked into the edge of the glass, and the bartender slid it Shiro's way across the bar top.  "Now, satisfy a lady's curiosity, what's brought you to Gatsby's tonight?"  She asked, leaning onto her crossed arms as Shiro's hand curled around the glass.  Before Shiro could answer, the sound of a piano drifted from further inside the place, and many of the other patrons lowered their voices as they settled into their seats. 

  


    "Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me," Lance crooned, winking at the audience as he tried to ignore the empty seat that he knew had Shiro's name on it right in the front.  Lance's eyes flitted over to Hunk on the piano, who nodded at him encouragingly, drawing out the time between Lance's lines as he played an extra flirty bit to try and get Lance into the mindset for his performance.  Lance forced a smile and wiggled his hips at Hunk, letting him know that the message was translated perfectly.  He'd still perform well, even if Shiro wasn't there.

  


    Shiro squinted hard at the willowy figure wrapped in a skin tight red dress, as they wiggled their hips.  The voice, the hips....It had to be Lance.  And while Shiro was relieved to know that Lance wasn't up on a pole at a club like one right next door, it was....Something new, seeing Lance dressed as he was.  Shiro knew that Lance wore whatever he pleased, booty shorts with loose leggings underneath were a favorite, but Shiro never would've guessed that Lance would go out in a dress that barely brushed mid thigh, let alone stand in front of a crowded, smoky lounge and purr his rendition of Christmas songs at them.

  


    "Oh hun, he's taken,"  The bartender's voice cut into Shiro's surprise, and he stared blankly at her for a second.  She giggled slightly, before leaning forward conspiratorially.  "At least, supposedly.  He says he's dating some hunky older man, but the man's never shown his face around here."  She rolled her eyes slightly as she shrugged.  "Personally, I think he just made the guy up to stop the catcalling at the end of his shows.  He's got a helluva set of pipes on him, word travels fast when you're as loud as he is."

  


    Shiro let out a slight huff, just imagining what Lance would've said about him, knowing how much Lance enjoyed playing up the fact that Shiro was older than him.  "I'm not that old," he muttered into the bourbon, unable to hide the small smile on his face as he watched Lance get into the song.  His eyes drifted away slightly when the bartender let out a surprised sound.

  


    "Uh, sorry, just wasn't expecting to hear that," she said, eyes somewhat disbelieving as she looked Shiro over.  Probably thinking that Lance was too good for Shiro, he thought, as he placed the glass back onto the bar.

  


   "Not at all, ma'am.  Name's Shiro,"  He offered with a slight smile.  Her eyes widened in surprise, and she practically hopped over the bar in her haste.

  


   "Why didn't you say so sooner?  Lance has a seat all set up for you, here, come with me,"  She zipped off ahead of Shiro, sounding almost worried as she led him directly in front of the stage Lance was on.  He followed slowly, murmuring apologies as he cradled the glass of bourbon and eyed his boyfriend nervously.  Lance  _ knew _ he was there, had personally invited him, but Lance had never sang in front of Shiro before.  Shiro knew he liked to sing, but it was always something private for Lance, and Shiro had respected that.  As he settled into the seat that the bartender had led him to, Shiro couldn't help but feel anxious that he was going to ruin Lance's show, being so close to the front of the room.

  


    “Santa baby, a ‘54 convertible too, light blue,” Lance tried to keep the tone of his voice the same, even as his eyes followed Shay suddenly dashing across the room from her bar.  He tried not to appear to squint at the person obviously following her, but judging from how Hunk played another extra cute, flirty bit, it was obvious that Lance wasn’t paying attention.  Lance mentally shook himself, and gave a genuine grin to the audience (who were quietly chatting amongst themselves) as he drew himself to full height.  A flash of white drew Lance’s attention, from near where Shiro’s reserved seat was, and his head whipped around in time to see Shiro leaning back in the comfortable leather chair.  Shiro was close enough that Lance could see the anxious smile that he was given, and a tiny wave from his boyfriend.

  


   “I’ll wait up for you dear,” Lance sang, practically vibrating with delight.  Shiro was  _ there, _ he’d come to see Lance sing, and even though Lance should’ve felt nervous, he  _ wasn’t. _  Being up on stage, dressed up in front of a large crowd (Lance wasn’t sure how many were there, he could maybe ask Coran later), made him more confident to show his talent to Shiro.

  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  


  


    Shiro listened in awe for Lance’s entire set, and was probably the loudest to applaud after each song.  He didn’t care that the other patrons gave him dirty looks, the delighted look on Lance’s face was worth more than a million strangers looking at him with annoyance.  Only once Hunk rose from his seat at the piano did most everyone at least give a little cheer, turning back to their conversations after raising glasses for a second.  Lance gave Hunk a quick hug, before practically flying off of the raised platform and barreling into Shiro’s lap, nearly knocking the new glass of bourbon Shiro had been given out of his hand.  He didn’t even care that much, laughing as Lance’s long limbs wrapped around his body.

  


    “I knew you were good at singing, but I didn’t know you were  _ that _ good!”  Shiro said, before Lance squished their lips together.  The kiss was heated and sloppy, and Shiro was pretty sure that if someone hadn’t hastily grabbed the glass from his hand, it would’ve ended up all over the two of them.  Eventually, with a tiny laugh, Shiro cupped Lance’s face and pulled away to gently bump foreheads together.

  


    “I guess Christmas came early this year, got exactly what I wanted,” Lance joked, and he wiggled his butt down into Shiro’s lap.  Shiro breathed deeply for a second, before tilting his head to gently kiss Lance again.

  


    “You’re surprisingly easy to shop for this year.  Wanna go to that diner you like so much?  Erm, unless you wanna get changed first…?”  Shiro asked when Lance pulled away to breathe.  Lance blinked slowly for a second, and then looked down at the dress he was wearing, as if only realizing he was still wearing it.

  


    “Uh...Fuck it, I want pancakes, let’s go,” Lance urged, popping up out of Shiro’s lap.  Shiro followed a bit more slowly, nodding at Shay (who held up the glass of bourbon in a toasting gesture) as Lance dragged him out of Gatsby’s.

**Author's Note:**

> merry crhistmas y'all and to all a good night


End file.
